May 24, 1962 Scott Carpenter in the Aurora 7 capsule atop Atlas rocket. The astronaut was launched at 7:45 a.m. and trackers reported "all is go."

May 24 marks the 50th anniversary of Scott Carpenter‘s Aurora 7 flight. The Boulder, Colorado native – one of NASA‘s original Mercury Seven – became the second astronaut to orbit the Earth.

In 1962, Carpenter piloted the Aurora 7 spacecraft that orbited the Earth three times. He also manually controlled the capsule’s landing, but because of complications splashed down 250 miles off course.

Carpenter was the fourth astronaut in space after Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn.

May 24, 1962 Cape Canaveral. Astronaut Scott Carpenter is outfitted in his spacesuit and is carrying a portable air conditioner as he leaves Hangar S. He rode transfer van from Hangar S to Pad 14 where he boarded his Aurora 7 spacecraft atop the Atlas booster. He was successfully launched into space at 7:45 a.m. and became the second U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth.

May 24, 1962 Colorado-born Scott Carpenter is helped into gear by suit technician Joe Schmitt. Wire taped to astronaut's neck is part of the apparatus to record his reactions and body conditions during flight.